Woodward hope that the letter - which asks Chelsea not to make any further bids and to stop commenting on Rooney, while spelling out United have no intention of selling the England forward - would see an end to the summer-long transfer saga .

He also wants to know if United are prepared to compromise on their public position over the player’s future.

After Chelsea’s win over Aston Villa on Wednesday, the Special One said: “We did (bid) before and we will do later, but I think this period [ahead of Monday's match] – from the ethical point of view – is a period when we are going to be quiet and just thinking about that game.”

In private, Mourinho is bullish about his chances of landing Rooney before the September 2 transfer deadline.